Fish-bar clamp.



PATBNTED DEQ. 27, 1904.

W. S. WUOTTON.

FISH BAR CLAMP.

APPLCATION FILED JULY 16, 1904.

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Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. VOOTTON, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

FISH-BAR CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,730, dated December27, 1904.

Application filed July 16, 1904. Serial No. 216,878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVTLLIAM SAMUEL VooT- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and Improved F ish-Bar Clamp, of which thefollowing' is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to means for securing iish bars or platesoppositely upon the webs of mcetingtrack-rails of a railroad, so as tosecure the rails alined and together, and has for its object to providea novel, simple, and practical device for the indicated purpose that iseasily applied and that dispenses with screw-tln'eaded bolts and nutsthereon as means for clamping the lish bars or plates in place on thetrack-rails.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appendedclaims. i

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective viewoftwo trackrails in part at the jointbetween them and also of the improved clamping device applied forclamping opposite fish plates or bars upon the track-rails. Fig'. 9. isa partly-sectional plan view showing details of the improved clampingdevice. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of a key-block-which is a detail ofthe invention. Fig. a is a fragmentary detail sectional viewsubstantially on the line A A in Fig. 2; and Fig. is a sectional planview of details, showing a modified construction of the liners employedto take up looseness due to wear of the parts of the clamp.

ln the drawings, 10 10 indicate two end portions of T-rails of modernconstruction that are alined and have contact, as indicated at a inFigs. 1 and 2. 11 11 are two iish bars or plates of the angular type,each one consisting of an upright member 1l*1 and a laterally-projectedbase member 11b, that respectively have contact with the web 10 andbaseflanges 10" of the track-rails at and near their joint, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

For the proper securing of the meeting ends of track-rails in alinementthree of the improved securing devices are employed; but as they arealike a description of one and its application will answer for thethree, that, it is to be understood, are properly spaced apart and clampthe fish-plates on the track-rails at three adjacent points.

A clamping-bar 12 is a leading feature of the improvement, and as shownconsists of a metal bar of suitable dimensions having two slots formedlongitudinally therein at the center of width, each extending from apoint near a respective end of the bar to a point sufiiciently distantfrom the longitudinal center of the bar to permit a central bearingportion 12 to remain unslotted at and near the center of length. Theclamping'- bar 12 is bowed somewhat, so as to render one side concaveand the opposite side convex, and preferably the concavity is bothlengthwise andcrosswise, as appears in Figs. 2 and 1, producing a cuppedformation Z1', that confers great strength to the central part of thebar, which adapts it to resist bending strain.

Two clamping-bolts 13 are loosely inserted through spaced slottedperforations in one of the fishplate members 11 and also pass throughopposite openings in the webs of the track-rails l0 near theircontacting ends, said bolts each having a hook member 13 on one end anda head 13b on the other end. rIwo spaced longitudinally-trending shortslots c are formed in the upright member 11 of the other iish plate orbar, said slots, which are opposite the two bolt-receiving slottedperforations in the webs l0 of the track-rails 10, permitting the hookmembers 13El to be passed therethrough when the clamping-bolts 13 are tobe adjusted for service. The hook-shaped ends 13)ll of the bolts 13 areprojected far enough through the slots c in the fish-plate member 1lawhen the heads 13b of the bolts have contact with the outer surface ofthe other fish-plate member 1l to permit said hook-shaped ends to passthrough the slots in the clamping-bar 1Q, and have a hooked engagementwith the end walls of these slots that are near the ends of theclamping-bar, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A key-block 14, that is substantially T- IOO shaped, is provided as akeeper to hold the clamping-bar 12 strained outward or away from theslotted member 11 of the .adjacent fish-plate 11 and also to putpressure upon said fish-plate member. the resulting' pull on the bolts13 serving to hold the two [ish-plate members 11 clamped upon therail-webs 10 The key-block 14 consists of a metal bar that is mainlyrectangular in cross-section and at each end is formed with a hook (Z,below which a foot member e depends, and at the center of length an arm14 projects from the normally outer side of the straight body portion ofthe key-block. Upon the outer end of the arm 14 a bearing-head 14 isformed that is convex on the end. surface and adapted to have bearing inthe cup-like center 7)' of the clamping-bar 12.

Suitable means are provided for quickly and conveniently drawing uponthe clamping-bar 12, so as to permit the insertion of the T- shapedkey-block 14 between the adjacent surface of the slotted fish-platemember 11 and the surface Z1 on the clamping-bar. This implement, whichforms the subject-matter of an application filed concurrently herewith,

- -need not be further mentioned than to state that pulling' strain isapplied upon the inner surface of the clamping-bar at each side of theconcave center thereof in a manner which permits the insertion of thekey-block in the position shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

l'hen the key-block 14 is applied, it is seated with the lower ends ofthe foot members e bearing upon the base portion of the fish-plate withwhich said key-block has contact. the transverse bar of the Ykey-block,wliereon the hooks l and feet e are formed, having' a bearing upon theupright member 11 of the fish-plate and the convex face of the head 14on the arm 14 an assured contact within the concavity b in the center ofthe clamping-bar 12. The length of the transverse bar 14 is such thatthe ends having the hooks e bear upon the bolts 13 near their hookedends 13 and keep said hooks engaged with the ends of the slots in theclamping-bar 12.

The sides of the upright members 11 that bear upon the webs 10 of thetrack-rails 10 are somewhat concaved, and when great pressure is appliedto draw upon the bolts 13 and simultaneously press upon the slottedmember 11 of the fish-plate that is to be engaged by the key-block 14the fish-plates will yield and flatten slightly and be forced into closeengagement with the rail-webs. Now if the key-block is forcibly insertedinto place, as shown in the drawings, causing the hooks (Z to seat uponthe bolts 13 near their hooked ends 13 and the ends of the bar 14 tobear on said bolt, the relaxing of applied pressure will permit theopposed fish-plates to maintain draft strain on the bolts 13 and renderthe clamping of the fish-plates upon the trackrail perfectly secure,this strain being due to the slight resilience of the upright members 11of thc fislrplates, as before mentioned.

Owing to inequality in the relative dimensions of the parts, it is foundthat in some cases the key-blocks 14 are not of suflicient length to fittightly in place between the center of the clampingcar 12 and the outersurface of the opposed {ish-plate member 11, requiring the employment ofone or more liners formed of plate metal to compensate for thedeficiency in length mentioned. The liners g, that are inserted betweenthe head member of the key-block 14 and the fish-plate member 11", maybe of any suitablenumber required to iill in and properly lengthen thearm 14, so that the key-block may be forcibly inserted into placebetween the fish plate and the clamping-bar, as already explained.

lf preferred, liners /t may be employed instead of the flattened linersg. The liners t, that are somewhat dished,have ears oppositely projectedtherefrom, which enter the slots in the clamping-bar 12, and thussupport the liner or liners /t in the cupped formation of theclamping-bar to be engaged by the head 14" on the arm 14 of thekey-block 14, as is shown in Fig. 5.

In either construction and application of the liners f/ or it asexplained their slight resilience serves to insure the maintenance of anassured and reliable connection between the fish-plates and track-railswhen these parts are subjected to changes in temperature that extendsand contracts them. It will also be seen that the employment of theliners g or /t will enable the repair of the railroadtrack having theimprovement, as wear and any looseness between the parts may be `quicklytaken up and the clamped connection between the fish-plates andtrack-rails be rendered perfectly reliable.

Usually the fish-bars that clamp the end portions of track-rails extenda suiiicient distance from the joint upon each rail to permit theinsertion in suitable perforations in the fish-plates and webs of thetrack-rails of a plurality of ordinary clamping-bolts that with nutsthereon bind the fish-plates upon the track-rails.

lt is to be understood that one or more of the improved fish-bar clampsmay be employed with any preferred number of the ordinary bolts and nutsfor securing the fish-plates upon the track-rails at their joints.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A fish-bar clamp embodying bolts having hookshapedends, a clamping-bar having openings therein that receive thehook-shaped ends of the bolts, and a key-block located between the boltsand seating' at one end upon the clamping-bar.

2. A lislrbar clamp, embodying bolts, each having' a head and ahook-shaped end, a bowed clamping-bar having spaced slots or openingsIOO therein eng'aged by the hook-shaped ends of the bolts, and asubstantially T-shaped keyblock, seating' on one of a pair of fish-barsand contacting' oppositely with the bow portion of the clamping-bar.

3. The combination with track-rails, and similar ish plates or barslapped upon the ends of the rail-webs near their meeting' ends, saidplates and webs having' spaced bolt-holes therein, of bolts having'heads and hool-shaped ends, said ends passing through the bolt-holeswhen the bolt-heads are seated on one tish plate or bar, a bowedclamping-bar having spaced slots or openings therein, engaged by thehook-shaped ends of the bolts, and a substantially T-shaped key-block,and an arm on said key-block having a convex-faced head seating' in aconcavity at the center of the clamping-bar.

LI. The combination with track-rails, lish plates or bars having'upright clamping members, said members and webs of the track-rails whichthey embrace having alined, and spaced longitudinally-elongatedbolt-holes therein, bolts having heads and also provided withhook-shaped ends, said ends passing' through the alined bolt-holes, abowed clamping-bar having spaced longitudinal slots that receive thehook-shaped ends or' the bolts, said ends hooking upon the outer ends ofsaid slots, and an essentially T-shaped key-block, the longer Iandtransverse member of which is provided with depending feet, and an arlnformed on said transverse member at its center, said arm at its free endcontacting with the clampingbar at its longitudinal center.

5. In a device ot' the character described, the bowed clamping-barhaving a concavity at its center oi' length and spaced longitudinalslots therein.

6. In a device of the character described, the key-block having'substantially T shape and provided with depending feet at its ends, andan arm projecting from the longer transverse member of the key-bar, saidarm having' a convex-faced end.

7. In a device of the character described, the liner for lengthening thekey-block, comprising a dished metal planchet having opposite earsthereon.

In testimony whereoic I have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

wiLLiAM s. wooT'roN.

IVitnesses:

LEVI IVITT, R. E. BnE'roN, Jr.

